A Love Against All Odds
by chikorita18
Summary: Set in 1912 on the Titanic. Crap warning! This thing has no point, it's just crap. Mushy crap. The second chapter might have something resembling a plot, but not likely. Don't flame me just 'cause this one doesn't hold up to my last one! I admit this one
1. Default Chapter

A Love Against All Odds  
  
Disclaimer: Pokémon is the registered property of Nintendo, Game Freak, 4Kids Entertainment, and Satoshi Tajiri. The Titanic is the property of the Atlantic Ocean.  
  
Summary: Set in 1912. Ash and Misty have never met, being on opposite ends of the social ladder. But when fate brings them together on the Titanic, will their newfound love be enough to overcome what lies ahead?  
  
A/N: This has absolutely nothing to do with the show at all, I just used the characters. I tried to avoid making this sound like the 1997 movie Titanic, but if I did, I'll kick my own butt.   
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Ash - 17  
Misty - 19  
Tracey - 21  
Brock - 25  
Gary - 17  
Others: Who really cares? It's an Ash and Misty love story, they're the only ones that matter!  
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"Wow..." breathed the young woman as she looked up at the massive ship. "Look at that...it's so big!"   
"Misty, please!" her eldest sister, Daisy, shushed her.   
Misty raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said.  
"Do you realize where we are? We're about to board the R.M.S Titanic! You don't know how important it is for us to be on our best behavior!"  
"We're going to be surrounded by some of the most important people in the world on that boat," her second-eldest sister, Lily, said.   
Misty, always the logical one, folded her arms. "No, we're not," she said. "You know as well as me that they're just going to stick us in the bottom of the ship where we won't cause trouble for the rich brats."  
"Misty!" her last sister, Violet, hissed. "Quit being such a little brat!"  
"Little?" Misty echoed. "You seem to forget that I'm nineteen years old!"  
"But you're still younger than us, and we say you're being a little brat!"  
Misty sighed. There was no winning with her sisters, especially not after they had all been abandoned by their parents. All four had decided that it was time they move on anyway, and Daisy had managed to grab four tickets to the Titanic, although Misty really didn't care to know how she did it.  
The four sisters heard a sound behind them and turned to see two of their male friends walking up behind them, overflowing bags slung over their shoulders. One was a tall man, with dark skin and eyes that were narrow enough to make people wonder if he actually had eyes, and the other was a younger boy with spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes that always carried a bit of an egotistical expression.  
The older man stepped up to Daisy and took her hand. "You do not know how pleasurable it is for me to see you again," he said, winking at her.  
Misty rolled her eyes. "Oh, please..." she muttered.  
Daisy, although slightly flattered, pulled her hand away. "I've told you before, Brock, I'm not interested in you!" she said.  
"He will be that way until the day he dies," the other boy said, turning to Misty. "Well, are you excited about this voyage?"  
Misty nodded. "You bet I am, Gary," she said.   
Brock looked up at the massive hull of the ship. "Wow," he said. "I can feel it...I just know that I'm going to meet my woman here..."  
Misty couldn't help but smile. Brock had always been a bit of a playboy, and although he once did have a serious relationship with a girl, she had pretty much broken up with him because of their age difference. Now, he was just a bit of an idiot. He tried to get every girl he could. He had even tried his hand at seducing Misty, although that had been the biggest waste of his time that he had ever had.  
"You?" Daisy said. "And a girl?"  
Gary sighed. "He is going to be like that until the day he dies," he said. "Well, let's get on this ship and get out of here!"  
Lily raised her eyebrows. "You're coming, too?" she asked.  
Brock broke off his daydream. "Of course we are!" he said. "Gary and I managed to get a hold of two tickets."  
"Managed to get a hold of?" Misty repeated. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"  
Gary made a face. "I'm appalled by your accusations!" he said in a fake accent. "Of course we didn't! We just...borrowed them from some drunk guy in an alley."  
"Idiots," Violet muttered.  
"Hey, when you're at the bottom of the food chain, you do what you can to survive!" Brock said. "Now, let's go before they leave us behind!" (In case you haven't guessed, Misty, her sisters, Brock and Gary are all in third class, the lowest you could go on the social ladder. Third class people were almost always strictly segregated from first and second class people.)  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, at almost the other end of the ship, an expensive-looking car pulled up, after honking its way through the throngs of people. A dignified-looking young man, of no more than nineteen years, stepped out of the car and peered up at the ship from under the brim of his bowler hat. "She is marvelous," he said, half to himself, half to the man who climbed out of the car after him. "Definitely the most impressive ship I've ever seen."  
"Ashton, the only other ship you have ever seen is the Lusitania," the man reminded his acquaintance.   
Ashton looked back at his vacationing partner. It was strange that after five years of knowing the man, he had never learned his real name. An accomplished artist, he usually went by the nickname 'Tracey', (A/N: Well, you try looking for a man named Tracey on the Titanic! I had to make up some excuse!) but only around close friends. Other people just didn't know his name at all. "Yes, well, it's not like I get to travel that often," he said. "And I thought I told you to call me Ash."  
Tracey smiled a bit. "You can never forget about that, can you?" he said.  
Ash sighed. "Well, you try being told that the only way you can inherit your parents fortune is if you marry before you turn twenty. I only have three years left!"  
"I don't think you're that concerned about it, though," Tracey reminded him.   
"No, I don't think so, either," Ash replied. "If I don't meet someone who I truly want to marry before I'm twenty, than the fortune can go to charity. I don't care anymore. If I am to marry, I want it to be with someone special, who will share her life with me, not hide from me."  
Tracey nodded as he followed Ash towards the ship. "Society these days just doesn't look upon love in the way it should...women seem to be nothing more than prizes to be claimed. It's a rare man indeed that looks for love before marriage. Most learn to love after they have married."  
"I agree," Ash said, handing his ticket to the officer standing on deck. Tracey did the same. Both were greeted with a warm welcome. It was no surprise to either. "You know, it's amazing how you have been able to keep such a low profile. Does anyone know your real name at all?"  
Tracey sighed. "My parents," he replied. "That's about it."  
"So who are you on the passenger manifest this time?" (Titanic fact: Many passengers did sail under false names)  
"Same as I always am," Tracey said.   
"Somehow, I can't believe that people don't catch on that you're an artist when you list yourself as 'Tracey Sketchit' every voyage you sail on."  
"People see the name, not the person," Tracey reasoned as they made their way to the top deck for the departure. "I have never once had someone come up to me and ask if I was that name."  
Ash smiled. "Lucky you," he said. "Meanwhile, I'm going to have every person on this ship ask me if I plan on marrying and if I'll consider their daughter as my wife...it's crazy is what it is. If I'm going to meet someone, I'm going to meet them on my own, with no one else's help."   
"You are a really stubborn young man, you know that, Ash?"  
Ash smiled at Tracey. "You better believe I am," he replied. "How else am I here, on the grandest ship in the world?"  
The duo had finally reached the top deck, where hundreds of people were gathered, waving to loved ones on the deck below, or just waving in order to say goodbye to the flat countryside of England. Ash had never cared for England that much, it had actually been France that had been his destination. But after vacationing in France for about a month, he had heard that his old friend Tracey was in England and the two had met in London. After about two weeks, they had learned of the Titanic's maiden voyage and had decided that now was as good a time as any to leave and return to America.   
Ash looked at the paper in his hands, a sort of itinerary for the next few days on the Titanic. "Look at this, Tracey," he said. "I could have just stayed in France. The Titanic is making a stop at Cherbourg tonight."  
Tracey looked over at him. "Well, I never knew that, so..." he said.  
"Yeah, I get it," Ash said. He sighed as he looked over the harbour. "Well, here's saying goodbye to my last vacation as either a single man, or a wealthy man." He raised one arm to wave at the throngs of people.   
"And here's saying goodbye to my inspiration," Tracey said, mimicking Ash's gesture.   
"Come on, now, I'm sure you can find plenty of inspiration on this ship," Ash said, although it was getting hard to hear over the cries of 'I'll miss you!' and 'I love you' coming from the people gathered on deck.  
"Yes, but...somehow, different countries always serve me better."  
Ash smiled at his friend. Although his work was quite famous and some of it was even featured in world-famous galleries, Tracey had little confidence in his work as an artist. That was part of his success, Ash reasoned, because he was always trying to improve, and was always improving because of his low esteem in his work. Either that, or it was just dumb luck.  
  
***  
  
Misty set her bags down on the cold floor. The cabin before her was nothing to sneeze at, although she was sure that the upper classes had way better accommodations. She sighed. "Well, I have to say that it's an improvement over the last ship we were on," she said.  
"Probably because the last ship we were on was fifteen years ago, when you were four. Of course they've improved ship design," Daisy said. She flopped down onto a bed, which was nothing more than metal with a cot in the middle. She was glad to be away from Brock, since he and Gary had long ago left to find their own cabins at the other end of the ship. (Titanic fact: Men and women in third class were berthed at separate ends of the ship, men at the bow, women at the stern, and families amidships)   
Misty sighed at the reasonably noticeable crankiness of her eldest sister. She understood why, though. Daisy, Lily, and Violet had always been way too dependent on their parents. Misty, although incredibly close to her mother, was always a free spirit, doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. It was no surprise to her that her father had taken her mother away. "Why be bothered with it unless you can change it?" was what she always said.   
"Honestly, Misty, you seem to not even care that we've been abandoned!" Lily whined.   
Misty climbed up to the top bunk that was nearest the single porthole in the room. "Lily, there comes a time when you've got to realize that Daisy's twenty-five years old, you're twenty-three, and Violet's twenty-one. There's a line between abandoned and time to move on to our own lives!" She sighed. "You know, they say that this is the most romantic ship in the world...the Ship of Dreams..."  
Lily rolled her eyes. Misty and Violet were what their mother had called the 'romantics'. The two of them were always looking at things with a romantic spin on them, but Misty was never one to be made fun of. She was definitely the most complicated of the four, loving her sisters to death one minute, and screaming at them the next.   
Violet leaned her chin on the bunk where Misty now sat. "Really?" she said. "Are you hoping to find the man of your dreams here?"  
Misty looked at her sister and smiled. "Hardly likely, huh?"  
Violet hopped up onto the bunk. "Aw, what kind of an attitude is that, sis? Just imagine, sparks fly on ships, especially ones that are on their maiden voyages! Just think about it, girl, you could find your soulmate on this ship!"  
"And she can finally leave us alone," Daisy muttered.  
Violet picked up the pillow off of the bunk and threw it at Daisy. "Why can't you just be happy that we're on our way to America, to a fresh start?"  
"Because we happen to be without our parents, the people that we're supposed to be with!"  
"Misty's right about one thing," Violet said. "It is time for us to move on. I mean, think about those first-class girls up there, most of them are probably seventeen years old and married to thirty-year-old men!"  
"A little too old for me," Misty said, a smirk on her face.  
"Same here," Violet agreed. "Oh, well."   
Misty hopped down. "I'm going to head off," she said. "I want to do some exploring." She wandered down to the lounge, where she met up with Brock and Gary. "Hey, Misty!" Brock called - he'd obviously already had a few drinks.   
Misty walked over. "So you found the bar, did you?" she said.  
Gary was standing a few feet away. "Yeah," he said. "And he's already been slapped in the face by about half of the third-class passengers. I suppose it may be a good thing that they keep us in separate areas than the higher classes. That way, he can't make a fool out of all of us up there."  
Misty looked up towards the ceiling. "I wonder what it's like up there?" she wondered, only half intending for it to come out loud.  
"Caviar...cigars...wine..." Brock said. "They've probably got everything they need up there, while we're forced to drink cheap booze and eat semi-edible crap..."  
"I sense hostility," Misty said with a smile.  
"You sense a heckuva lot more than just hostility," Brock said.  
Misty shook her head and left to explore a bit more. She found her way out to the stern deck, or, as it was so fondly called, the poop deck. She enjoyed the rush of wind through her long orangey hair as she leaned up against the rail. It was getting dark. The ship would be docking at Cherbourg soon, and then it was on to Queenstown, Ireland, and then, nothing but ocean until they reached New York.   
She turned around so she could look up at the higher decks. "Awfully quiet for this time," she remarked, before reminding herself that the first-class people were probably at dinner. Their dinners usually lasted for hours, sometimes with dessert being served at ten at night. But a lone figure caught her attention. It was a young man with jet black hair standing on one of the first-class decks. She squinted to get a better look at him. He looked like he was upset or something, Misty couldn't tell. Finally, he walked away and she was left to nothing but the memory.  
  
***  
  
Ash sighed as he and Tracey walked through the dining salon. It wasn't a sigh of dissatisfaction - the dining salon was enough to take his breath away - but boredom. He just didn't feel like eating another fancy meal with more fancy people. He thought for a moment about just saying he was sick and leaving, but that wouldn't do his family's name too well, to just hide out for the rest of the voyage. After all, Tracey was usually right when he predicted things, and he was predicting that Ash would fall head-over-heels in love by the time they reached New York.  
The two of them took a seat at their table, which was inhabited by six other people, four men and two women. Ash introduced himself while Tracey kept silent and just sat down.   
One of the men nodded in recognition of Ash's name. "Ah, yes," he said. "I met your father once. Charming man, he was. I hear you are in the search for a bride, young man. I know of several young ladies who are dying to meet you."  
Ash gave a weak smile. "Thank you, but it's not on the top of my priority list right now," he said.  
"You mean you don't even wish to meet anyone?"  
Ash sighed. "I suppose I could always stand to meet someone new," he said, although he found it difficult to imagine that he could ever feel emotionally attached to a first-class woman. He knew that it was unfair to judge women based on their social status, but it was his experience that told him that most women just wanted to marry and get to work on the family, they didn't care to get to know the man at all before marrying them.  
"Well, for starters, let me introduce my lovely daughter, Margaret."  
A lovely young woman with flowing blond hair and piercing blue eyes stood up. "Delighted to meet you," she said in a soft voice which could have easily been mistaken for music.  
"And my niece, Christine."  
A dark-haired woman stood up. Ash immediately took her name off of his list. He had never been one to judge by looks, but the woman was way too beauty-impaired for even his liking.  
Tracey, obviously amused by the whole thing, smiled smugly at Ash as he sat back down. "Well, there you go," he said.  
Ash rolled his eyes, making sure to shut his eyelids first so no one saw. He stood up yet again. "I'm sorry, but will you excuse me?" he said. "I suppose I'm just not that hungry tonight. I'll eat in my room later."  
Tracey found him outside, wandering the promenade deck aimlessly. "Ash, what's bugging you?"  
Ash sighed. "Do you think it's impossible to find a woman who is both smart and beautiful?"  
Tracey looked at his friend. "All right, Ash, I have to ask you this...are you actually lovesick?"  
Ash made a face. "How can I be lovesick when I haven't met anyone?"  
"You know what I mean, Ash," Tracey said. "Do you want to meet someone?"  
Ash sighed. "If you want to know the truth, you have to promise not to judge me by it."  
"Promise," Tracey said.  
"I saw this girl last night...I was just out for some air...and there she was...but...she was down in third class...her clothes were just in tatters...but she was so beautiful...she had hair the shade of a fire..."  
Tracey raised his eyebrows. "That's it," he said. "You've got it, and you got it bad."  
"What?" Ash said.  
"I think it's best that you not come out here anymore, because I know you're going to try and meet her, and that would be the end of your family's name."  
"Yes, I know...a first-class man with a third-class woman..."  
"But on the other hand, I'm an artist. What do I know?" Tracey said. He winked and walked away.  
Ash thought about that. Tracey was telling him to go meet her, he knew that he was. But...how to do that without upsetting everyone on the social ladder?  
  
***  
  
Misty stepped out into the fresh night air once again. Nothing but ocean remained in front of them. Nothing but ocean. She took a deep breath, smelling the sweet scent of salty air. She sighed heavily. "What is it about this ship that is depressing me this way?" she wondered aloud. "Here I am, on the Titanic, and I just want to hide in my room and never come out...I hate this. I hate everything about this...why can't my life be simple?" She turned and looked up towards the first-class area. Surprisingly, she saw someone standing there. The same man that she'd seen before. "He probably just wants to laugh at me, being down here while he's up there," she reasoned to herself. "Why else would he be there?"  
To her ultimate surprise, the man turned to talk to a steward and then began to descend a small staircase to the deck where she stood. Her mind raced to figure out a reason why he could be walking towards her like that. Her heart was almost pounding out of her chest. She had never had too many encounters with the rich folk, and this abrupt one was scaring her.  
Finally, he stood before her. She noticed that his eyes were a deep chestnut brown and he could probably be classified as the best-looking man she'd seen in her life. She had no clue what to say at all.   
He spoke for her. "Hello," he said. "I know this sounds...strange coming from me...but, could I ask you what your name is?"   
He was speaking quickly, and Misty thought that she heard his voice wavering. Was he actually nervous about talking to her? Most wealthy people talked slowly to her, as if they expected her to be some kind of retarded person. "My name is Misty," she replied. "And you are?" She wanted to throw out a challenge, to show that she wasn't just any timid third-class person.   
"Ashton," he said.   
*Geez, even his name sounds rich,* she thought to herself.  
"But I really actually prefer to be called Ash," he continued. "It's just that...well, people are so accustomed to calling me by my full name..."  
Misty didn't know what to think, so she decided to get on with it. "Well, then, maybe you could tell me why you're here?" she said.  
Ash took a deep breath. "Well, the reason would be that...I...couldn't help but notice you out here the last couple of days...and you...I don't know why I was compelled to meet you, but...I was..." He sighed. "You probably think I'm making a fool out of myself right now..."  
"Well, yes, you are," Misty said. "But this is interesting."  
"I wanted to ask you if you would mind...accompanying me to dinner tomorrow night," Ash said, glad to have gotten it out.  
Misty watched him carefully, looking for a sign that he was joking or making fun of her, but there was none. "What?" she said.  
"I know you must think that I'm just pulling your leg, but...there's something about you that...interests me..."  
Misty looked down at herself. "And you want to take me to dinner up there when I look like this?" she said.  
Ash shook his head. "While I was in France I bought some dresses for my cousin...you look to be about her size...please, I just really need to have company."  
"Why?"  
Ash motioned back to the first-class deck. "You think it's the good life up there, don't you?" he said.  
Misty nodded. "Why wouldn't it be? You've got everything up there."  
"Everything but the one thing I need," he said. "So...would you join me tomorrow?"  
Misty bit her lip, wondering if she was just going to be made fun of the whole time. Finally, she decided that life was for living, not wondering. "Sure, I'll come," she said.  
Ash smiled at her, and she realized just how handsome he was. "That's wonderful," he said. "Meet me here tomorrow around five o'clock, okay?"  
Misty nodded.  
Ash seemed a little reluctant to leave, but he finally turned around and walked back up to his deck.  
Misty stood there, staring, for the longest time before she decided to go back to the lounge. The air was biting cold now.  
Brock, Gary, and Daisy were there. All three looked at her with icy glares. "Could you explain what that was about?" Brock growled in a tone she had never heard before.  
"What was what about?" Misty asked.  
"You were talking to that first-class guy," Daisy said. "What did he say to you?"  
Misty looked at her sister as if she had just told her that she was an alien. "Nothing," she said.  
"Well, you seemed to be talking for a long time, so he must have said something!"  
Misty let her mind recall the image of his smiling face. He had been so handsome... "He invited me to dinner with him tomorrow night," she said.  
"He WHAT?!" Brock almost exploded. "And you said yes?!"  
"Yeah, I did!" Misty said. She hated losing arguments, especially with Brock. "Why is that suddenly a problem?!"   
"Misty, he's just going to try and..." Daisy began to speak.  
Misty spun around. "Daisy, I'm not an idiot! Don't you think I thought about what he might try to do? I can read people, and he doesn't seem that way!"  
"Because those people are trained liars!" Brock said.  
Misty matched Brock's tone of voice. "So what?" she said. "It's my life you know!"  
"You are not going!" Daisy said.  
Misty waved a finger. "I'm nineteen years old," she said. "I can do whatever I want!"   
"I'm not letting you go!"  
"Hell with you, I'm going!" Misty said. "I think this man actually might like me, and I'm not blind enough to throw away my chance!" She shoved past them all and ran to her cabin.  
  
***  
  
Tracey stared at the young man incredulously. "You actually met her?" he said. "You mean you went down there and introduced yourself?"  
Ash looked up from the bags he was searching through. "Yes, I did," he said.  
Tracey's face broke into a grin. "You always did things your own way," he said. "I'm glad you didn't take my advice." He winked at Ash.  
Ash shook his head.   
"So what are you doing?" Tracey asked.  
"I'm looking for that blue dress I bought for my cousin," Ash said.  
"Why?"   
"Because I invited that girl for dinner."  
"Whoa, she's coming up here?!" Tracey almost squeaked.   
"Is there a problem with that?" Ash said.  
"No, not at all, I just never expected it. So...what does she look like? What's her name?"  
Ash sighed as he thought of the young woman once again. "Her name was Misty," he said dreamily.  
Tracey raised one eyebrow and immediately burst into laughter. "Oh, man, Ash, you have it bad!" he said.  
"Since when do you call me Ash?" he said, eager to change the subject.  
"You were always bothering me about it in England, so I decided to call you that. Now, what does she look like?"  
Ash shook his head. "I can't do her justice by describing her...you have to see her yourself to appreciate her real beauty."  
"Okaaaaayyy..." Tracey said slowly, obviously concerned about his friend. "You're in love, aren't you?" he asked.  
"Love?" Ash repeated. "No. Lust, maybe, but not love. Not until I know get to know her."  
"Of course," Tracey said. "So, shouldn't you be looking for that dress?"  
"Yes, I should," Ash replied, resuming the task.  
  
**  
  
Misty waited by the staircase, nervously wringing her hands. Her outburst the night before had somewhat shocked the rest of the group, and they had decided that if something bad were to happen to Misty, she would learn the lesson on her own. Brock and Daisy had been arguing about it before she had left, but nothing was going to stop her from seeing Ash again.  
Finally, she saw him descending the stairs. But this time, he had another man with him. The two looked like good friends.   
Ash smiled as he walked up to her. "How are you this fine evening?" he asked.  
Misty couldn't help but blush. "I'm cold," she said.   
Ash nodded. "It is getting quite cold out here," he said.   
Misty looked past him to his friend. "And who might you be?" she asked.  
"Oh...uh..." Tracey stumbled for an answer.  
"He doesn't like people calling him by his real name...he's an artist, you understand, and he likes to keep to himself. Just call him Tracey."  
Misty smiled, catching the pun in the name. "Ah," she said. "I gotcha. Hello, Tracey."  
Tracey nodded to her. "Hello," he said.  
Ash held out his arm for her. "So, how about you follow me?" he said. "I'll get you dressed up."  
"Hey, wait!" Tracey said, taking the dress from him."Let me get her dressed. You want to be surprised, don't you, Ash? After all, she is your...um...date tonight."  
Ash looked at Misty. "Is that okay with you?" he asked.  
Misty nodded and walked off with Tracey. They walked to his stateroom. "Please, don't be shy," he said. "I promise, nothing in here bites."  
Misty smiled and stepped in.  
Tracey unfolded the dress, a long, ice blue dress with white lace running down the front and back. "Do you like it?" he asked. "Ash picked it out. He thought it would go well with your eyes."  
Misty reached out to touch the fabric. "Wow," she breathed. "It is beautiful..."  
Tracey smiled. "Ash always knows how to impress the ladies, he just doesn't try," he said.  
"What?" Misty said.  
Tracey gave himself a mental kick. "Oh, dammit," he muttered. "Well, Ash is going to hate me for telling you this...but...he comes from a very wealthy family...and he's the heir to a twenty-five million dollar fortune, but he can only get it if he marries before he's twenty..."  
Misty felt her heart sink. "So he's only..."  
Tracey frantically waved his hands. "No, not at all!" he said. "I think he really likes you, Misty! He hasn't ever made an attempt to see a woman until he saw you!"  
Misty smiled at him. "Well, you're doing a fine job of covering for him," she said.  
"It's my job," Tracey replied. "He has a tendency to get himself into trouble."  
Misty nodded and stepped into the washroom to change into the dress. All of her senses were being overwhelmed by the beauty of everything she had seen in first class so far. And as she looked at herself in the mirror, the soft fabric falling around her, she truly realized for the first time what Ash must have seen in her. "Wow," she said to her reflection. "I really am beautiful..."  
Tracey's eyes widened when she stepped back out. "Wow, you look great!" he said. "Ash is going to be blown away!"   
Misty smiled. "So, what did you say you did?" she asked as he began to work on her hair.  
Tracey spoke around the hairpins in his mouth. "I'm an artist," he said.  
"Really?" Misty said. "I've never heard of you."  
"Tracey's not my real name," Tracey said. "And I only sign my name on my paintings, that's all. No one really knows who I am, just my work."  
"What do you specialize in?" Misty asked.  
Tracey shrugged. "Whatever gives me inspiration, I guess. If I see something that gives me that feeling, I paint it."  
"I want to be a writer," Misty said. "But...I'm too poor to even buy the supplies..."  
"A writer, hmmm?" Tracey said. "Tell you what. I can get you a job at the newspaper in town if you don't have anything else to do."  
Misty smiled. "Thank you," she said. "But I'm not sure if I would be any good...I like writing stories, not facts."  
"Of course," Tracey said. He stuck the last pin into Misty's hair. "There you are," he said.   
Misty stood up and walked to a mirror. She had to do a double-take, she was so surprised.  
"Didn't think you could look like that, did you?" Tracey said.  
"No," Misty said.  
"You're a beautiful young woman," Tracey said. "And I know that Ash is going to be blown away when he sees you."  
  
***  
  
Ash stood at the bottom of the Grand Staircase, awaiting the arrival of Misty and Tracey. He felt his heart pounding. Why was it that he was so nervous? He couldn't be in love with her already, could he?  
His heart answered him with a resounding 'yes!'. The very second that he had heard the soft sound of her voice, he had known that he had been waiting his whole life for her. There was no question about it. He felt his eyes burn for a second. He had never felt like this in his life. It had to be love, there was nothing else it could be!   
His breath caught in his throat as he saw her, walking arm-in-arm down the stairs with Tracey. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress he had chosen for her. He stepped up to the bottom of the stairs as they reached the bottom. "Wow," he said. "Misty...you...look...wow..."  
Misty couldn't help but smile. "And you look great, too," she said. She was overwhelmed by the sight of sunlight streaming through the huge dome above them, glancing off the oak paneling and dancing in Ash's eyes...  
Tracey gave Ash a crooked smile. "Well, you two, I'm off to mingle. Have fun."  
Ash looked lost the second Tracey walked away. He had never actually been left alone with a woman, much less a woman that he was in love with.  
Misty flashed him an amused grin. "Well, you're sure the talkative one," she said, lacing her arm through his. "Aren't you going to take me to dinner to meet all your friends?"  
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Friends?" he repeated. "Misty, if I could, I would be in third class with you. You'll see how stuffy it gets. I'd rather be at one of your parties than up here, talking about politics and things."  
"How old are you, Ash?" Misty asked. "I never asked before."  
"I'm seventeen," Ash replied. "What about you?"   
"Nineteen," Misty replied. "Although you would never know it if you met my sisters."  
"Why?" Ash asked. He knew that it wasn't 'proper' to delve into a girl's personal life, but he felt like he could take some chances with this one.  
"They're always treating me like I'm five. They're all in their twenties and they're still upset over our parents ditching us."  
"What?"  
Misty looked at him. "I suppose I'm boring you, going on with my life story."  
Ash shook his head. "No, you're not," he said. "I'm interested. I want to get to know everything about you."  
Misty saw no sign that he was lying in his eyes, so she smiled. "Do you? Me, a measly third-class girl?" She wanted to play him until she found out the real plan behind all of this.  
Ash fell serious. "Yes, you," he said. "I know it's hard for you to trust someone like me...trained liars, some people call the upper class."  
"Yes," Misty said softly, remembering what Brock had said.  
"Truth is, being up here...it can suffocate you. That's why I wanted to meet you so badly, because you seem like a girl who can show me something else to life besides caviar and wine and expensive stuff. A man on this ship bought a quilt for his wife that cost eight hundred dollars in Queenstown...I see no reason for it."  
Misty could see tears in his eyes as they descended the Grand Staircase towards the dining area. *He really does hate it up here...* she thought. *I suppose I could take him down to the party tonight...but I have to make sure that Brock don't find out.* Before she could stop herself, the words were coming from her lips. "Would you like to come down to our party tonight?" she asked. "They're a lot of fun and they go on into the late hours like you would never believe..."  
Ash looked at her and smiled. There was something about her, everything she said made him smile. He was actually starting to believe in soulmates as he walked along with her. "I would love to, Misty," he said.  
Misty felt her face go hot. What was going on? She was actually blushing, and the feel of his arm linked with hers felt so right, like it was where she was meant to be. They say this is the most romantic ship in the world...her words from the day they had departed rang in her head. The most romantic ship in the world, and she was falling in love. It seemed too good to be true. "Good," she said. "I'm getting rather sick of dancing with my sister's friends, it would be nice to have someone of my own to dance with."  
Ash raised his eyebrows. Could that mean that she was falling for him? Nah, she was just probably lonely. "Well, here we are," he said. "Just pretend you're rich and they'll love you. No one up here knows who you are, so...unless Tracey gets drunk and blows your cover later tonight in the smoking room..."  
Misty couldn't help but laugh.   
"I know, he can get a little wacky at times, but he's mostly calm."  
Misty looked around as they walked through the doors to the dining saloon. The room was carpeted in blue, except for a small area, which she assumed people used for dancing. The tables and chairs were all white, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. She felt like the Queen as Ash led her to a table.  
Tracey was already there, discussing something with the man who had tried to fix Ash up. Closer inspection revealed that Tracey was showing him a fairly recent sketch that he had done of the Grand Staircase.   
"I see you've gotten over your fear of letting people see your work," Ash said.  
Tracey looked up. "Yes, well..." He cleared his throat.   
The man nodded towards Misty. "And who is your acquaintance?"  
Ash beamed proudly. "This is Misty," he said. "I just met her the other day, and she agreed to come to dinner with me."  
"Ah," the man said. "I suppose I've never introduced myself. My name is Archibald, but you may call me Archie." He took Misty's hand in his own and kissed the back of it, a tradition.  
"Lovely to meet you," Misty said.   
Ash looked at her with a bit of a smile. She was fitting in just fine, and had already fooled half the people there into thinking that she was another wealthy young woman on her way home to America.  
They sat and ordered dinner, and Misty could see why Ash hated being up here so much. The conversation was dull and having to sit with her back straight was really beginning to annoy her.   
The band began to play a slow song, one that Misty didn't recognize, and she saw couples get up to dance.  
"Misty, would you...care to dance?" Ash asked her.  
Misty spun to look at him with a hint of surprise. Then, she smiled. "I would love to," she said.  
Ash led her to the dance floor and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist. His heart was screaming at him by now, the closeness of her body driving him crazy.  
Misty placed one hand in his and the other on his shoulder. She let him lead, since she had no idea what she was doing. But one thing was for sure - she was falling for him. There was no doubt left in her mind. She didn't even care that they were on opposite sides of the social ladder. Her eyes began to well up as she watched him. He was a natural at dancing, it was no wonder why he was so sought after by women. Handsome, smart, and a wonderful dancer. *What did I do to deserve this? * she asked herself.   
The song ended way too soon and the two of them returned to their seats. Tracey nudged Ash and gave him a look that said Man, you've got it worse than I thought! He quickly hid the sketch that he'd been working on of the two of them dancing.  
After dinner had ended, Ash and Misty headed out to a staircase that led back to third class. Misty's hands started to shake. What if Daisy and them found her dancing with this first-class man?  
"If you don't want me to come down, I won't," Ash said.  
Misty shook her head. "I want you to come, but I don't want anyone to find you! They'll hate you and they'll make you hate me, and..."  
Ash pulled her close, their dance removing all fear of closeness from his heart. "Misty, no one could make me hate you, nothing will. I promise you that."  
Misty blinked back tears from her eyes. "I don't want to go down there, that's the problem," she said. "Because if I do, they'll never let me up here and I'll never see you again..."  
Ash felt his heart sink as he saw a few tears trickle down her cheeks. His mind was screaming two things at once to him - one, that he would never really be able to be with her, and two, that he should forget about that stuff and kiss her.   
Misty looked up at him. "Ash...will I see you again?" she asked.  
Ash nodded. "Of course you will," he said.   
Misty didn't believe him, he could see that.  
Finally, the half of his mind that wanted to kiss her took over and he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own.  
Misty felt a jolt of emotion rush through her body. She was startled, to say the least, but she found it in her to kiss him back. Her hands found their way up his body to become entangled in his hair.  
Ash's heart was pounding. Misty was the first woman he had ever even wanted to kiss, and now the dream was playing out into reality. He placed a hand on the back of her neck and one around her waist to bring her closer to him.   
Finally, the two had to break off to breathe. Both were more than a little unnerved by what they had just did, but had no regrets. Ash smiled at her. "How about I give you some time to think things over and I'll come get you tomorrow?" he whispered.  
Misty nodded. "Okay," she whispered back. But before she descended the staircase, she looked back to say one last thing - "Ash, I love you."  
Ash's face broke into a huge grin. "I love you, too," he said.  
It was Misty's turn to grin. "Really?"  
"Would I have kissed you if I didn't?" he said.  
Misty shook her head. "Well, goodnight," she said.   
Ash watched as she disappeared from sight. *What is everyone going to think, me, dating a third-class woman? An older third-class woman at that...* After a moment of mental debating, he decided that he really didn't care. He just had to see her again...  
  
***  
  
Daisy, Lily, Gary, and Brock were all waiting at the stateroom when she got back. "Well, fancy digs, there, Misty," Brock said, every word dripping with disdain.   
Misty looked down at her dress. She had never asked Ash if he wanted it back.   
"I suppose you had fun up there?" Daisy said.  
"Yes, I did have a good time," Misty said.   
"Misty, you just don't get it, do you?" Lily said. "There's no way that you could ever be with this man!"  
"Why not?" Misty said, determined not to yell.   
"Because it will never be a real love! Whether you admit it or not, you're just after his money! You just want to be rich, that's all!"  
Misty turned to Brock, fire in her eyes. "Who are you to be lecturing me about love?!" she cried. "Since when was it your duty to approve of my love life?!"  
"Misty..."  
"No!" Misty yelled, her voice echoing off of the steel pipes in the room. "I won't let you mess this thing up for me! I love him and that's all there is to it!"  
Daisy stormed up to her and slapped her across the face. "Misty, wake up!" she cried. "This man is not the one for you!"  
Misty held her cheek, where she was sure Daisy's handprint was showing up. Her eyes began to well up with tears. She had been so happy a few minutes ago, and now...she turned from the room and ran. She ran up to the poop deck and almost to the end of the ship, where she finally collapsed into a sobbing heap. She wanted to be with Ash, she needed to hear his voice in her ears.  
As if he had heard her thoughts, she heard Ash's voice call out to her. He appeared in her view a moment later, running to her and diving to his knees beside her. "Misty, are you all right?" he asked, helping her to sit up. "I was just out for air and I saw you running...please...tell me what's wrong..."  
Misty blinked away her tears, only to have them replaced by new ones. *They're wrong, they're all wrong. He loves me, I love him...it don't matter where we come from...as long as we have love...*  
Ash was still watching her, concerned, when he heard footsteps beind him.   
Misty gasped as she saw Brock and Gary coming towards them. "Ash, get out of here!" she begged. "They're going to..."  
No sooner did she say that than Brock shoved him backwards. Ash went sprawling almost under the rail of the ship. It was becoming clear to Misty that Brock and Gary fully intended on throwing him off of the ship - literally - as they hauled him to his feet and slammed him against the metal rail.  
"Stop it!" Misty pleaded. "Please, don't!"  
Her words went unheard. She grabbed Brock's sleeve and almost ripped it off trying to get him to let go of Ash. "Stop it!" she cried.  
Brock was resorting to trying to strangle Ash.   
Misty couldn't think of anything else to do. She finally ran to the rail and began to climb over.  
"Misty, what the hell are you doing?" Gary said.   
Misty now stood on a tiny ledge, only one slip away from certain death. "Let him go, or I'm jumping!" she cried.  
"Misty, he ain't worth dying for!"  
"He is to me!" she cried. "I swear to God that I'm going to jump unless you let him go within the next five seconds!"  
Brock was obviously torn between revenge on the man in his grasp or the life of his best friend's sister.   
Misty let go with one hand, so only the other kept her from falling. "I'm serious, Brock, I'm letting go...and if Ash isn't able to grab me..." She began to loosen her grip.  
Brock finally let go of Ash and shoved him towards the rail. "Get her," he growled.   
Ash reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back over. He held her tightly. "Why did you do that?" he cried.  
"I'm not going to live without you!" Misty sobbed into his shirt. "I won't let anything take you away from me!"  
"Do what you want," Brock muttered. "And see how bad it works out." He and Gary stormed away.  
Misty raised her head and sought out his lips with hers, putting all of her fear and anger into the kiss. She felt him kiss back. The kiss deepened until both knew that it wasn't going to end there.   
  
***  
  
The sun shone through the windows, bathing the room in soft light. Ash opened his eyes slowly and smiled as he felt the soft weight of the girl in his arms. He looked down at her. She was still sound asleep, her hair strewn across her face. *She's so beautiful...he thought. There's no one on this planet who will ever convince me not to take her as my bride...*  
Misty's eyes slowly flickered open. She looked confused for a moment until she realized where she was. She looked up at him.   
"Good morning," Ash whispered.  
Misty smiled. "Good morning," she whispered back.  
"Sleep well?"  
Misty shifted her body so she lay on the pillow beside him. "Very well," she said.  
"I wonder why that could be?"  
Misty laughed. "Because you exhausted me last night," she said.   
"And you did the same to me," Ash said. He sat up slowly. "Today' s Sunday...any interest in going to mass today?'  
Misty saw the look on his face. "No, not really," she said.  
"Good," Ash said. He laid back down beside her. "Misty...did Tracey tell you...about my inheritance?"  
"Yes...he said that you had to marry before you were twenty or you didn't get it."  
"Yes..."  
"It's a surprise you didn't just try to get the first woman you saw."  
Ash shook his head. "Love means more to me than that."   
Misty closed her eyes again. "I'm so tired," she said.  
"I can order something to the room," Ash said. "If you don't want to get up."  
Misty shook her head. "I'm okay," she said. "But I think people will get suspicious if I wear that dress again..." She had noticed that women in first-class changed clothes at least five times a day.  
"Tell you what," Ash said. "Those dresses I said I bought my cousin? They're yours now. And when we get to New York, I'll get you some more things."  
Misty suddenly opened her eyes again. "Assuming we see each other when we get there," she said.  
Ash crawled out of bed. "Yes, I suppose I'm getting a little out of hand," he said. "I shouldn't even be thinking the things that I am."  
"Things like what?" Misty asked, sitting up.  
Ash sighed heavily. *Oh, well, the worst that can happen is she'll hate me and run away and I'll never see her again...not so bad...* "Misty...I'm very seriously considering taking you as my wife...after we get to know each other, of course...a three-day fling on the Titanic doesn't classify as true love, but..."  
Misty watched him busy himself with dressing. She smiled. He was so nervous! "I think it does," she said, knowing that she couldn't live without this man.   
Ash stopped halfway though pulling his shirt on to stare at her. "What?" he said.  
Misty reached for the dressing gown on the bedpost and pulled it on before getting out of the bed. "Ash, I know for a fact that I love you, and nothing could change that...you saw what happened last night when Brock and Gary tried to take you away from me...I would do that again in a heartbeat if you were threatened in any way...And if I'm the woman you want as your wife...then I would be a fool to reject you."  
Ash could only stare. He hadn't expected this reaction at all.   
Misty wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever known in my life," she said. "And I mean that."  
Ash leaned down to kiss her. "And you're the most wonderful woman I've ever known," he said.  
  
***  
  
Misty stepped into what Ash had told her was the lounge, the womens' area. He had volunteered to stay with her all day to make sure that she was okay, but Misty had finally declared that if someone wanted to know who she was, she would tell them. "I don't feel sorry for myself," she had said. "And if they can't accept that I'm from third-class, then so be it."  
Ash had smiled then at her bold determination. "Well, you're not third class to me, and that's what counts, right?"  
"Right," Misty said, a grin manifesting on her face.   
Now, she looked around the large room, seeing a few women scattered around. She took a seat by a window and looked out, sighing to herself. *Four days ago, I was nothing, just a little brat...and now I could very well be Ash's fiancée...I know he loves me...and I love him...there's not much that could stop me now...*  
A young woman, a few years older than Misty, approached the table. "Excuse me for intruding," she said softly. "But I couldn't help but recognize you."  
Misty looked up to find herself looking at a tall woman with black hair. "How so?" she asked.  
The woman sat down. "I saw you dancing with Ash last night."  
"You know him?" Misty said.  
The woman raised her eyebrows. "Believe me, everyone knows him." She was silent for a moment. "My name is Edwina. I used to be maid to Ash's mother."  
"Oh," Misty said.  
"I understand that Ash is thinking of taking you as his wife," Edwina said.  
Misty nodded slowly. "Yes, he is," she said.  
"Such a lucky girl, you are," Edwina smiled. "If you could only imagine how many women wish to have him as their husband...it is not just that he is heir to such a fortune, but he is a respectable man. He has been that way since he was a little boy. He stands for his own rights...never follows the crowd. Which makes me believe that you are not who you seem to be."  
"What do you mean?" Misty asked.  
"Where do you come from?" Edwina said.  
Misty couldn't tell if this woman meant well or not. "America," she finally said.  
"Who are your parents?"  
Misty turned away at the question. "They're not with me anymore," she said, her voice quivering.  
Edwina looked taken aback. "Oh, my dear, I'm sorry," she said. "I did not mean to upset you...I guess I tend to look into people's business a little too much at times. Forgive me." She stood up and walked back to her own table.  
Misty sighed and decided that some air was best for her.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, in the first-class smoking room, Ash and Tracey sat at a table separate from the rest. Tracey was aimlessly sketching in his book, and Ash was thinking of how well Misty would fare in a first-class world. "I don't know, Tracey," he suddenly said. "I don't know if Misty would be okay in this world...she's used to doing what she wants, when she wants...she's such a free spirit...I don't know if she would handle being told what to do all the time."  
Tracey looked up. "Ash, don't tell me that you're going to just cast her away," he said. "Not after what happened between you two last night. She would be dead right now if you hadn't saved her, and not to mention what I assume happened after that!"  
"What do you assume happened after that?" Ash said, wondering if Tracey had had his ear to the door the night before.  
"It's not a gentleman's place to discuss such matters," Tracey said, sounding like an old, stuffy man.  
"Yes, well..."  
"What I am trying to say is that you would be a fool to miss this chance. She loves you! Can't you see that?"  
"Of course I can!" Ash snapped. "But no matter what, she's still a third-class girl! I can do everything I can to make her first-class on the outside, but she's never going to fit in!"  
Tracey reached out and pinned Ash's hands to the table. "Ash!" he cried. "Listen to me!"  
"What?" Ash said, surprised at Tracey's outburst.  
"Someday, it isn't going to matter who you marry or where you come from when you marry. That may not be the case right now, but you can make it the case in your life. So what if she doesn't fit in? She's wandering around the Titanic right now as a first-class girl because she loves you too much to go back down to third class! Love should never be classified, and you've proven that to her! If you were to tell her this to her face, she would be absolutely heartbroken! Do you want to see that?"  
Ash conjured up an image of him telling Misty that he didn't think she'd fit into his life. She would be devastated. What had she said the night before as Brock had tried to kill him? "I'm not going to live without you"...She really would sacrifice herself for him. "You're right," he said. "It would be stupid to let her go after how far we've come..."  
"Good," Tracey said. "I'm glad I got through to you."  
Ash sighed. "I should go find her," he said.   
  
***  
  
Ash finally found her about to descend back into third-class. "Misty!" he called out.  
Misty turned around. Her eyes lit up. "Hi, Ash," she said.  
Ash walked up to her. "You're going back?" he asked.  
Misty shook her head. "Just for a little while," she said. "I want to talk to the only one of my sisters that will be happy to know that I've found true love."  
Ash smiled at that. "Well, you take care of yourself, then," he said. "Do you want me to come get you tonight?"  
Misty shook her head. "As wonderful as last night was, I think I'd rather spend just one more night with Violet before I go off with you."  
Ash nodded. "Then, how about tomorrow after lunch?"  
Misty thought about it. "That would be good," she said. "I hear there's going to be a dog show up there tomorrow...that would be interesting to see.  
Ash sighed. "So...goodnight, I guess," he said. He really didn't want to have to go to bed without her, but...  
Misty stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly. "Good night," she said. "I'll be dreaming of you."  
"Same with me," Ash said as she carefully walked back down the stairs.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
A/N: I wrote this because the Titanic was my passion before Pokémon. Seriously. Ask me a question about it and I can answer it! Anyway, you guessed it, the iceberg is next...whoops, I just remembered that I was supposed to write a happy fic...oooh...you guys are gonna hate me...how about the fic after this one be a happy one?  
  



	2. Disaster, Departre

Ash sighed as he tossed and turned in his bed. He flipped on the light and checked his watch. It read 11:39pm. "I never should have brought her up here to sleep with me," he said to himself. "Now I can't sleep without her." He stood up and was walking to the window when he felt the ship shudder. It was a faint sensation, but it was there. Ash looked up to see the lights quivering. "What?" he said. He looked back out the window in time to see a huge, dark shape pass by. He squinted at it to see what it was. One thought came to his mind - It's an iceberg...  
He heard a pounding on his door. He ran to it and pulled it open. Tracey was there, looking like a ghost. "Did you feel that, Ash?" he asked.  
Ash nodded. "And I saw it...It was an iceberg..."  
Tracey bolted past him into the room and leaned out of the window. "It was an iceberg," he said. He turned back to Ash, eyes wild with fear. "Do you know where they keep the lifebelts in these staterooms?"  
"Tracey, calm down!" Ash said. "We don't even know if we hit it!"  
"We hit it, I know we did!" Tracey said. "What else could that have been?"  
"Tracey!" Ash cried. "Sit down, I'll get you a drink! You need to calm down!"  
Twenty minutes had passed when there came another knock at the door. Ash crossed the room and pulled open the door. "Yes?" he said.  
A steward stood on the other side. "Sir, the captain requests that all passengers proceed to the boat deck with their lifebelts, immediately. You may find them..."  
The rest of the words went unheard as Ash went to look for them.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, Misty groggily opened her eyes to the sound of her sisters voices. "Misty, get out of this bed right now!" Daisy ordered.  
"What is it?" Misty groaned. She had had enough trouble getting to sleep with them lecturing her about her newfound relationship with Ash.   
"Brock and Gary think that we've hit something," she said. "The stewards are starting to panic, and there's water coming into the cabins out front."   
Misty sat up, sighing.   
"There's no time for that!" Lily said. "The ship is going down, I can feel it!"   
Misty felt her heart sink. "But the Titanic's unsinkable!" she protested.   
"Well, obviously, it isn't, because we are going to sink!"  
Sure enough, a steward threw open their door. "Get up and get your lifebelts on!" he commanded before moving on to the next cabin.   
Misty jumped out of her bunk, noticing that there indeed was a slant in the floor. She looked outside. They were stopped dead in the water. She pulled on one of the dresses that Ash had given her - the white one she had been wearing that day - and her heavy coat. She had heard that it was getting cold out. She tucked her hair underneath a kerchief and followed her sisters out of the room. The four of them met up with Brock and Gary at the gate to the second class area.  
Brock turned around. "They're not letting us through," he said. "They say there's no reason for panic and that we'll have our chance later..."  
"What does that mean?" Misty asked, beginning to pick up on just how serious they thought the situation was.   
"It means when the first-class people take all the boats, they'll let us up there to watch them float away as we go down with the ship!"  
Misty clambered towards the front of the mob, hoping against hope that Brock wasn't right.  
  
***  
  
Ash was glad he'd brought his coat, but not glad about the situation. All around them, lifeboats were being uncovered and loaded. He looked at Tracey. Speaking was impossible because of the roar coming from the ship's funnels, but he could tell by the look on the artist's face that they weren't going to end up back in bed.   
An officer waved to Ash and Tracey, beckoning them to come forth. "Would you like to get into this boat?!" he called.  
Tracey bit his lip, his sense of chivalry too strong to just take a woman's place in the boat.  
"There are no more women willing to board!" the officer shouted. "And this may be the only chance you have to get on a boat!"  
Tracey looked at Ash. The teenager nodded and they began to climb into the boat. Ash had one foot in when he remembered something. "Oh, my god..." he said. He looked at Tracey. "I have to find Misty!" he yelled.  
"Ash, come on, just get in the boat! She'll get out on her own!"  
Ash shook his head. "I can't take that chance, Tracey!" he cried. "I have to find her and make sure she's okay!" He stepped back onto the deck and disappeared into the crowd before anyone could stop him.  
Tracey sighed and sat down, volunteering to help the officer in the boat row as soon as they hit the water.  
  
***  
  
After about half an hour of running amok through the hallways, Ash finally found the gates where most of the steerage passengers were gathered. And, as if by some strange miracle, Misty was there in the front of the crowd. He ran down to the officer. "Why are you trapping them like that?" he said.  
"It's our orders," one steward said.  
"Well, forget your orders!" Ash nearly yelled. "These are living people you're caging up!"  
A moment of debating and the steward opened the gate. "Women only," he called.   
Ash reached through out and pulled Misty through. She practically collapsed into his arms, sobbing. "I didn't think you were coming!" she cried.  
Ash buried his face in her hair. "I almost didn't," he said. "But I couldn't let you drown on this ship, not after all I promised you I would do."  
Daisy, Lily, and Violet stepped up to them.   
Ash let go of Misty.  
Daisy forced a weak smile. "Thank you," she said. "We never would have gotten out of there if you hadn't come..."  
Violet waltzed up to Ash. "So you're the man my sister is so in love with," she said. "I've never seen her so happy..."  
Lily smacked her sister. "This is no time for that!" she hissed. "We have to get off this ship!"  
Ash took Misty by the hand and began to head for the stairs until Misty stopped. "No," she said. "We have to find a way to get Brock and Gary out of there...I can't let them die..."  
Ash spun around. "Misty, no!" he cried.  
"Ash, this is mylife!" Misty called. "I can't turn my back on it, no matter what you can give me, and I won't!"  
Ash was shocked, but nodded. "Okay," he said. He pointed down a hall. "There's a smaller gate down there. Get them to go over there, and I'll try and convince the steward to open it!"   
Misty watched as he ran off. She ran back to the gate and whispered the directions into Gary's ear. He nodded in understanding and repeated it to Brock. They began to shove their way back down and Misty bolted in the direction that Ash had run. She found him arguing with a steward as several families pleaded in several different languages to be let through. Brock and Gary joined the group a moment later.   
"Please," Misty begged, putting on her 'helpless steerage girl' act. "They're my best friends...you have to let them through...please..."  
The steward, rather young and obviously naïve, sighed and took out his keys to open the metal gate. As soon as the gate had opened, Ash and Misty took off towards the Boat Deck.  
  
***  
  
Checking the clock on the wall, Ash saw that it was nearing 1:30am. The ship was at a pronounced angle by now, making it hard for them to walk straight. Misty was beginning to panic despite Ash's best efforts to calm her. They had taken several wrong turns and were now lost in the second class area of the ship.   
Finally, Misty collapsed to the floor, unable to run anymore. Ash kneeled at her side. "Misty, we have to keep going!" he pleaded. "We have to get off the ship!"  
Misty shook her head. "We're going to die on this ship," she moaned. "Even if we make it to the top..."  
Ash halued her to her feet. "The last thing we need right now is for you to give up!" he cried. "I swear to God, I'm getting you off of this ship, and there's nothing that's going to stop me from doing that!"  
Misty looked at him, seeing the determination in his eyes, and nodded.   
Ash looked around, noticing how quiet it seemed to be. Everyone was probably either trapped below or on the Boat Deck already. His eyes fell on a sign that said 'To Boat Deck'. Resisting the urge to laugh, he pointed to it. "There we are, Misty, we're safe!" he cried.   
They ran out onto the deck, but what they saw didn't comfort them at all. The Boat Deck was a zoo, people finally realizing that the ship really wasn't unsinkable and that it was going down.  
Ash looked around for a boat, but there were none. "Oh, god," he said. "We're too late!"  
Misty grabbed the arm of the first person she saw. "Are there any boats left?" she said.  
"There's a few all the way forward," the man replied. "But they are filling up fast."  
Ash took off running, Misty in tow. They reached the boat, and Ash shoved his way past the men in order to get the officer's attention on Misty.  
Misty suddenly realized that the officer wasn't going to let Ash onto the boat. She spun around. "Ash, I'm not going without you!" she cried over the crowd.  
Ash looked at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Yes, you are!" he said. "I'm not letting you die on this ship!"  
"Ash..."  
"Misty, keep quiet and get on the boat!" he said. "It doesn't matter about me. The important thing is to get you off and make sure you live!"  
Misty!" a voice called from the boat. Misty looked over to see her sisters already crowded in the back of the boat.  
"You see?" Ash said. "You have family there! They want to see you survive! I want to see you survive! Please, don't be a fool! Take this chance!"  
Misty was torn. She had no clue what to do. She wanted to survive, but she didn't want to leave Ash. She couldn't, not after all they had been through on this voyage.   
Ash finally decided that drastic measures were in order. He pushed her towards an officer, who immediately picked her up and deposited her into the boat. Misty's sisters pulled her to them, throwing their arms around her, breaking down into tears.  
Ash closed his eyes as the ship gave another shudder. When he stepped back, he found himself face-to-face with Brock and Gary. Both men looked like the planet was about to blow up. But Brock perked up the second he saw Ash. "Where's Misty?" he asked. "Did she...where is she?"  
"She's in the boat," Ash said.   
"Thank god," Brock said. He sighed. "Look...this may be my only chance to say this...but...I'm sorry for judging you the way I did...Misty really does love you...I shouldn't have tried to stand in her way...none of us should have. You've made her so happy the past few days..."  
"I only did what my heart told me to do, that's all," Ash replied.  
Gary was watching the rising water. Finally, he tugged on Brock's arm. "Come on," he said. "We have to get out of here!"  
Ash checked his pocketwatch. It was nearing two in the morning. The ship didn't have too much longer, he could tell by the angle of the deck. As he followed the two steerage men towards the stern of the ship, he could hear the band playing one last song - "Nearer My God To Thee". It seemed like everyone was clambering to the stern.   
Gary suddenly tripped and fell. Ash grabbed onto a rail and grabbed his hand. "I've got you!" he said. He hauled Gary back to his feet and they continued climbing.   
The lights flickered once and suddenly went out completely. The groan of stressed metal rose from the bowels of the ship. Ash looked around, seeing the wooden deck begin to bend. "We've got to jump over the side!" he called. "The ship's splitting apart!"  
Brock and Gary looked back and nodded. The three men climbed to the rail and jumped, intending to get as far away from the ship as possible. The water tore into Ash's body like a bunch of knives, it was so cold. He could hear the ship splitting as he swam frantically for the nearest lifeboat.   
"Ash!" a male voice called to him. He turned to see Brock struggling with something. Closer inspection revealed that it was Gary, lifeless in the water.   
Ash swam back and took one of Gary's arms, helping Brock haul him away. The cold of the water was already numbing his senses, but he wasn't going to let someone just drown.  
  
***  
  
Misty watched in absolute horror as the Titanic's stern lifted into the air. She had seen the ship split in half and the bow go down. Now, the stern was hanging in mid-air, as if someone had decided to torture the people on board some more. She could hear screaming and the sound of furniture and such dislodging and plunging towards the watercoming from the massive ship, which was no more than twenty feet away from them. There were no lights, just a massive black hulk against the starry sky. She swallowed back hysterics and continued to watch. She couldn't make out people in the crowd at the stern, but she was sure that Ash was in there somewhere.  
She heard Daisy crying beside her and turned to her. It hit her then that Brock and Gary must have still been on the ship. She turned back. Somehow, it was impossible to show sympathy at that moment. Her eyes were fixed on the ship as it began to sink into the dark ocean. She had to remind herself to breathe. Please, Ash, please tell me that you got onto a boat...I can't live without you...I just can't...please...  
A second later, the Titanic disappeared into the depths of the Atlantic ocean, on her way to a watery grave. Misty felt tears gathering in her eyes. She turned to Violet and the two of them collapsed into each other's arms. Misty let her tears free, knowing that she had just lost her first true love.  
  
***  
  
Salt water stung Ash's eyes. He could barely swim anymore, the cold had robbed him of all his senses. He and Brock were still pulling Gary towards the nearest lifeboat, but it kept rowing away despite Ash's cries.   
Finally, Brock noticed what seemed to be a table floating in the water. He swam out, grabbed it, and pulled it close. "Here," he said. "We can put him on this."  
They pooled their strength to haul Gary onto the table, which barely floated under his weight, and they grabbed hold of the edges.  
Ash tried to rub the stinging out of his eyes. He soon realized that it wasn't just salt water, but tears. He could just imagine Misty, in that boat, thinking that he was gone with the ship. The image of tears running down her angelic face was enough to tear his heart out.  
"You really do love her, don't you?" Brock's voice startled him.  
Ash looked at him and finally nodded. "Yes, I do," he said.   
Brock looked away. "So did I, once," he said. "But it was never meant to be...I've learned that."  
"What do you mean?"  
Brock looked at the young man. "If you make it through this, you'll know that you and Misty were meant to be together."  
Ash nodded and motioned towards Gary. "What happened to him?"  
"I don't know...he must have hit his head...I don't think he'll make it...the cold will get to him before he wakes up..."  
Ash sighed heavily. "Brock..." he said, surprised that he could remember his name. "When we get out of here...I promise I'll pull some strings and I'll get you and Misty's sisters on your way to a better life."  
Brock nodded. "That would mean so much to all of us." He forced a smile. "Are we invited to the wedding?"  
"What wedding?"  
"Yours. I'm not stupid. I know that you and Misty are going to get married."  
Ash couldn't help but smile. It was amazing how something like this could bring enemies togwther and turn them into friends. "Of course you are," he said.  
  
***  
  
Misty was shivering so bad that they had to haul her onto the rescue ship. the Carpathia, in a makeshift swing. She was immediately led to the area where they were keeping the steerage passengers. She retreated to a deck chair and wrapped the blanket she'd been given around her. As she listened to the agonized cries of the women around her - most of whom were now either widows or childless - she gave into her own despair. Her whole body wanted to sleep, but it was also playing some kind of cruel trick on her by denying it to her. Ash...she thought. You're gone...forever...my first love...gone...I loved you so much...  
There was a sound behind her and she spun around. Tracey stood behind her, tears in his eyes.  
"Is Ash..." Misty couldn't bring herself to say any more.  
Tracey sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I just got onto the ship. I wanted to make sure that you were okay..." He swallowed back some tears. "I'm so glad to see you're okay..."  
Misty shook her head and collapsed into his arms, sobbing pathetically into his shirt.  
Tracey sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "Misty...Ash asked me to give you this in case he didn't make it...he wrote it just after we hit the iceberg...I don't know if he made it or not, but..." He handed a sheet of slightly wet paper to her.  
Misty let go of Tracey and opened the letter. In a barely legible scrawl it read...  
"Dearest Misty;  
Did I ever tell you how beautiful your name was? I don't suppose I ever did. Well, it is a beautiful name, and you're a beautiful woman. The past few days...they've meant so much to me...before you, I was adrift at sea in a sense. I had no idea where my life was going. I felt like I was standing in a crowded room, screaming at everyone I saw, but getting nowhere. Then, that day when I walked down and I asked you to accompany me to dinner, I felt like I was finally getting what I wanted. Some people may say that it never would have worked out, me being so 'upper class' and you not so, but I never cared once. I never once sat down and asked myself if there was someone in my own class for me. I worried about you, most of the time. I worred if you would make it in such a stuffy world. But as I watched you threaten to end your life just to save mine, I knew that it was meant to be. We were soulmates, I know we were. But this has happened now...I doubt very much if I will make it - women and children first is the rule after all, and there sure aren't enough boats on this ship for everyone.   
If you're reading this, chances are Tracey has survived and he has given you this letter. I don't know what will become of you, but I don't want you to be sad. I understand if you cry for me, since our love was so young, yet so strong, but I don't want this to end your life. I want you to move on and succeed. I want you to find a man that can make you happy. I want you to have lots of babies. I want you to watch them grow into beautiful mirror images of you.  
So, chances are, this is goodbye. Always remember that I love you more than life itself, and I want you to know that I turned down a chance to board a lifeboat and survive just so I could save you. Love makes you do crazy things. Please never forget me, Misty. And tell Tracey that he is my best friend and I'll never forget the friendship he has given me throughout the years.   
Ash"  
Misty felt tears running down her face as she looked back up at Tracey and fell once again into his embrace. She missed him so much already. But one thing came to her mind. "How did you make it?" she asked.  
Tracey sighed. "I got onto a boat...one of the first ones..."  
"But you're soaking wet," she said.  
Tracey nodded. "I wanted to go back after the ship went down...but no one else did...so I jumped out to look for survivors...almost froze to death in the process. I left that note with someone...but I got back into the boat before we were picked up..." He stared at his feet. "Ash turned down a chance to get into a boat to save you, you know."  
"Yeah," Misty said, reading the last few lines of the letter again.  
"I guess I'd better get back...they'll put me on the list of the dead if I'm not there..."  
Misty nodded.  
"Misty, I'm sorry about this," Tracey said, resting a hand on her shoulder before heading back to the other first-class passengers.  
  
***  
  
Misty dragged herself towards the dining area. A steward had pleaded with her to eat something and she had finally agreed. But she knew that it was futile - her heart was broken, and nothing could ever repair it again.   
She managed to force down a bowl of soup and then headed back out to the deck. She stared out at the ocean, praying that, if Ash had died, that he hadn't suffered. So many women...so many widows. "Ash and I weren't married," she whispered to herself. "So why do I feel like a widow?" Because Ash was your only true love, her mind replied. She dropped her head into her hands and burst into tears once more.  
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. "Misty," a strikingly familiar voice whispered into her ear.  
She spun around to come face-to-face with a dark-haired man. Her jaw dropped. "Ash?" she said.  
Ash was standing there, smiling at her. "We made it," he said.  
Misty let out a small cry and threw her arms around him. "Oh, my god, Ash, you're alive!" she cried, bursting into happy tears this time. "How did you make it?!"  
Ash held her as tightly as he could without strangling her. "Brock and I...we made it to a lifeboat...they pulled us in..."  
Misty sobbed helplessly into his shirt. But then a thought came to her. "What happened to them?" she asked.  
Ash gulpled back his own tears. "Brock is down in the infirmary. He's got a nasty bit of frostbite. Gary...he...passed away...in the water last night..."  
Misty closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "But you made it," she said, wrapping her arms back around him.   
"I love you, Misty," Ash whispered.  
"I love you, too," Misty said. And with those words, they shared a passionate kiss that drew applause from several people nearby.  
  
***   
  
Rain was pouring down on New York as the Carpathia pulled into the harbour. Ash stood on deck with Misty, one arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders and one hand holding an umbrella over them. Tracey stood beside him, and Brock stood at Misty's side. Daisy, Lily, and Violet had refused to leave the third class dining room, where most of the steerage passengers from the Titanic had been sleeping.   
The Carpathia, a small passenger liner that had been on her way to the Medditeranian when the captain had gotten the distress call from the Titanic, chugged over to the Titanic's berth and the crew lowered the lifeboats that it had recovered from the site of the sinking. The boats would later be stripped clean by souvenir hunters. The small liner then steamed to her own berth. Pure chaos ensued. Even though the sky was black and the harbour dark, it seemed like daylight with all the flashes from cameras.   
Misty clung to Ash for dear life as they made their way towards the gangplank that led into the sea of reporters. Somehow, the prospect of getting on a lifeboat and descending into the unknown seemed less scary than walking through the crowd of reporters screaming out for blood...  
Ash looked at her. "We can stay here for a minute if you want," he said. "Probably wouldn't let you off yet anyway."  
Misty frowned. "Why?"  
Ash motioned with his eyes down at the clothes she was wearing. "I know you hate to be reminded, but you still are a steerage passenger to everyone else." (Titanic fact: The Carpathia let the Titanic's survivors off by class - first class first, second class second, and third class last)  
So they stayed until the crew began to let steerage passengers off. Misty hesistated. She looked back at Brock. "I'll probably never see you again," she said. "So..."  
Ash put a finger over her lips. "Misty, I'm not the kind of person to just stare down my nose at the less fortunate," he said. He looked up at Brock. "I'm sure we can work something out. After all, my family does own the local newspaper where I live. I can pull some strings and get you working there if you want."  
Misty looked over at Tracey, remembering his offer for her. "You never said it was Ash's family's newspaper," she said.  
Tracey shrugged.   
"I'm not sure how I'd respond to that life," Brock said. "I think I'd prefer to stay the way I am."  
Ash raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying that you'd be a millionaire like me," he said. "I'm just offering this so you and Misty can keep in touch. It's not fair to break friends up."  
"What about my sisters?" Misty asked.  
"I have it covered," Ash said. "Now, let's get off of this ship. I never want to see another boat as long as I live..."  
Misty kept a strong hold on Ash's arm as they descended into the crowd. Nothing was going to tear her away from him again. They had stared fate in the eyes and laughed. Their love had survived.   
A love against all odds.  
  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: To all people who thought that either Ash or Misty was going to die: Gotcha! Hey, like I said, the Titanic is my life's passion (well, besides Pokémon) and I'm so sick of love stories where one of the lovers dies...Misty should consider herself lucky. There were only six women who were reunited with their significant others after the Titanic sank. And I know I killed Gary, but it just wouldn't be real if everyone survived (I should have killed off Daisy, Lily, and Violet....I HATE them...)  
  



End file.
